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W Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

W
Henry V: By William Shakespeare
Published in Paperback by W. W. Norton & Company (1997-11)
Author: William Shakespeare
List price: $15.95
New price: $4.14
Used price: $0.23

Average review score:

Valuable edition, easy to hold, fun to read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-25
Once you get past the strange layout (described in other sections), this is a great edition of Henry V. It is easy and fun to read and offers valuable insights (not just for students either). Well worth a flutter.

A popular play in an edition fabulously rich in helps
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-30
This play is best known for the St. Crispian's Day "Band of Brothers" speech given by King Henry just before the battle at Agincourt. It is a powerful speech that rallies people at all times and everywhere. Sir Lawrence Olivier made a film version in 1944 during WWII and Kenneth Branagh made another as recently as 1989. You can count on there being more versions. Epecially so when computers can help them make spectacular battle scenes (that aren't really in the play) with less expense.

Audiences love this play and they should. There is a lot to like and enjoy. I think upon repeated readings Henry becomes a more equivocal character than he seems at first. And readers of the King Henry IV plays will know him before he became King Henry and know something deeper about his personality.

And of course there is the whole bit about the drive to France being sponsored by the Church to avoid confiscation of property by the Crown. Moreover, there is the slaughtering of the French prisoners, and his treatment of Falstaff (who dies offstage in this play). This isn't revisionist stuff, it is right there in the play, but it is easy to miss the first time you are trying to take in the play.

In any case, this Arden edition is the one to buy and read from. Why? Because it has the most authoritative text, but that is only the beginning. It also shows variants between the early sources. The notes at the bottom of each page of the play are simply fabulous. The editor includes not only helpful notes explaining what might be obscure in the text of the play, he provides sources Shakespeare probably used such as Holinshed and makes for some very interesting study. There are also some helpful notes on how various scenes have been performed over time.

And to make this sound more like an infomercial, you get more! The introduction provides great background material on the play, its sources, and how it has been performed throughout history. After the play, there is a photo reproduction of the first Quarto from 1600 and it is fairly readable. There are also a couple of maps showing the path of the English Army from Harfleur through other towns on its way to Calais and makes clear how they had to pass through Agincourt.

There is also a helpful genealogical table so you can see the confusing claims used by Henry and the French nobility to make their claims. And there is a doubling chart so you can see how theater companies can perform all the roles with fewer actors.

This is a great edition as are all the plays published by the Arden Shakespeare. The amount of work collected in these volumes is stunning and they will enrich your experience of the plays tremendously. I can't recommend them enough.

I've always loved this play with its wonderful battle scenes
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-22
This play more than any others in the histories glorifies Englishmen and England. His characters in this one are larger than life, but each has their own limitations and flaws. The play covers the time of the Battle of Agincourt when the French King Charles was so sure of victory that he sent a messenger to Henry to ask him to give up and to pay a ransom before the battle. On the eve of the Battle of Agincourt, the English were outnumbered five to one, Henry's troops were on foreign soil and riddled with disease. The scenes where Henry dons a disguise and goes out amongst his troops to bolster their confidence are great. The English managed to triumph in this battle where all was stacked against them mostly because of Henry's leadership. This is such a sweeping story that it is hard to condense in a few words, the plot of the play, but it is a wonderful example of Shakespeare's skills as a writer.

Every soldier should carry a copy.
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-25
'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.' What more need I say? Henry V is an imortal classic of western literature. And this edition is complete and accurate. See the film if you want, but be sure to read the words at least once. They are inspiring.

Someone please give this book to Bush
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-08
"Now, if these men do not die well, it will be a black matter for the King that led them to it."

Particularly poignant poetry in these times of pompous presidential sabre rattling and wars based on questionable facts.

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Inside Network Perimeter Security: The Definitive Guide to Firewalls, VPNs, Routers, and Intrusion Detection Systems (Inside)
Published in Paperback by Sams (2002-06-28)
Authors: Stephen Northcutt, Karen Frederick, Scott Winters, Lenny Zeltser, and Ronald W. Ritchey
List price: $49.99
New price: $39.99
Used price: $7.00

Average review score:

Great Book on SMB Network Security
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-13
This is a great book for seasoned IT professionals that want to learn how to secure small and medium sized networks.

As others have said, if you want to read only one book, this is the one. The authors did a great job of describing concepts and relevant low level details and tools.

I enjoyed reading most of it, but I skimmed parts that described processes that seasoned engineers have applied countless times.

Highly recommended!

Excellent
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-10
Very, very good.
All the most important subjects of perimeter security, remote access, resources separation are addressed.
TCP protocol details are clearly part of the explanation, therefore the more you know of it the better it is.
Useful links and vendor specific technology references are also included, like Microsoft, Cisco and so on.
Excellent.

If you want to buy just one book, buy this one.
Helpful Votes: 18 out of 22 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-24
Stephen Northcutt has done a great job! this is the most comphrensive book on the subject. I particularly found the part on access lists very helpful. Niloufer Tamboly, CISSP

A very informative read
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-27
Stephen Northcutt, and the various contributing authors, have created a masterful and well rounded guide of the various considerations that go into securing the network perimeter. As a student of Information Technology this book has been instrumental in my education and has earned a permanent place on my bookshelf (when it is not in my hands directly).

Fairly decent but can be thinned out a bit
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-02
Fairly decent overview of perimeter security. If your a security professional you may learn a thing or two, if your a network administrator and your idea of security is a firewall then this book is meant for you. Its a fairly easy read, but some of the examples of the commands to enter in configuring routers and hosts could be eliminated. I felt the author was just taking up space with these examples. (not a big deal but I'm taking a star away on principal) I also felt the author could have gone into a little be more detail in the VPN chapter, especially when dealing with encryption, PKI, and authenication which I felt was glossed over. (again not a big deal, but when you call yourself the definitive guide, be more definitive and save the 'commands' for the user guides")

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J.W. Waterhouse
Published in Paperback by Phaidon Press (2005-03-01)
Author: Peter Trippi
List price: $29.95
New price: $18.78
Used price: $18.00

Average review score:

Peter Trippi's Waterhouse Book Rocks!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-11
Was absolutely delighted when we received this book. This is an artist who is so ripe for a reappraisal! Waterhouse managed to pull off a genuine and moving romantic vision. The writing is thoughtful and spirited. The reproductions are first rate. Can't imagine anyone would fail to love this one.

Philip Koch
Professor of Fine Art
Maryland Institute College of Art

The best book out there on J.W. Waterhouse!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-05

This is the best book I have found on J.W. Waterhouse. Not only does this book talk about the painter's life, but more importantly, each of J.W .Waterhouse's paintings are described in very full detail (eg: OPHELIA).

I was so intrigued by reading about Waterhouses' pictures, because the author of this wonderful book (ie: PETER TRIPPI) elaborated in great detail about each work of Art, by contrasting and comparing Waterhouses' paintings to other famous paintings and sculptures (eg: Bourne Jones from the 1800's, and also many famous Italian 1400-th Century Artists) .

The author has attempted, (& with great success, I may add), to show how Waterhouse was influenced by past Rapheaelite Artists and also by some of the other famous first-phase Pre-Raheaelite English Artists.

Each synopsis, of each Waterhouse painting is quite amazing and like no other interpretation that I have read on this famous late-Pre-Raphaelite Artist.

The repro-photos of Waterhouse's works are amazing, -----showing such wonderful details and colors.

Book on John Waterhouse
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-17
If you are an art lover of paintings that can take your breath away, and pulling you int it than John Waterhouse is a must for your collection. He is such a great artist and this book is so incredible you want to devour it. He is one of the greatest artists of his time that I would recommend this book because it is affordable and wonderful.

I received this book quickly and with no delays.

Great table book
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-16
Would love to have ordered the hardcover for a coffee table book but this one does just fine for the cost and over-seas shipping it would have taken for the hardcover. Lots of information on J W Waterhouse and great pictures. It even has some of his less known works and pictures that you can't find prints for. A true keep sake and treasure for those who are interested in this artist and his time. Oh, and a few of the house guests, students, have even asked to borrow the book. First table book to have created some interesting conversations.

An astute feel for a quiet man
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-08
Peter Trippi's monograph has done what I would assume had to be very difficult to do: he has a good feel for the quiet,quiet man behind the paintings. The depth of his study helped me to verify a number of pieces of information that led me into my own research, and has continued to be my main reference as I continue my work. I recommend that this is the book to begin with if you are going to enter any serious study of John William Waterhouse; however, don't let that make you think it is only a scholar's read: it is well written, beautifully illustrated, and simply a joy to behold.

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Natural Law
Published in Paperback by Ellora's Cave (2005-03-30)
Author: Joey W. Hill
List price: $14.99
New price: $10.00
Used price: $9.95

Average review score:

Loved it!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-04
This is the story of two characters who also appear in The Ice Queen, a story that I enjoyed a lot more than this one. Violet is a sexual dominant, and Mac, a cop, is a sexual submissive, even though he is controlling male, alpha-type outside of the bedroom. It turns him on to have the woman be in control, though in practice, he is caring and controlling in other ways.

Mac comes to the club where Violet 'plays' because he is undercover, looking for a female dominatrix who he believes is responsible for a string of deaths of male submissives.

I really like this author, and have been reading all her material. Unlike many erotic books, she writes with a plot and includes great characterization. This is not just a story about sex, with a little plot thrown in. This book, unlike some of her others, is not about troubled characters, however. Both Violet and Mac are comfortable with who they are. The suspense comes from the murder mystery, and there is just not quite enough of that crime element for this to get 5 stars from me. It is a very good story, nonetheless, and definitely one for fans of Joey Hill to include in their reading list. It is interesting to compare Mac with Jacob from The Vampire Queen's Servant, another character who is a dichotomy interms of a strong male who is a submissive.

A suprise
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-04
I ordinarily find BDSM erotica degrading and it makes me uncomfortable. Not this book. I did enjoy it. The charcaters were developed beautifully. I could see the romance/affection//love between them. Not like Most BDSM erotica I have read where Dom meets sub; they engage in sex and other things and you get no character insight.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-03
I have read several romantic erotica books and there are those I like and those I don't, but I have never been emotionally touched by an erotica story until this one! I read the book cover to cover as soon as I received it. I can't stop thinking about these characters. I think it is too far and few between that we read stories that express a strong alpha man's emotional loss of control to the right woman, because there is nothing sexier than that loss. Ms. Hill expressed that loss so vividly in through Mac's actions and in his dialogue that I literally had chills! This is my first written review because I just couldn't help myself from telling others how great this book is.

And the other reviewer is right - 5 stars is not enough for Natural Law!

Wow. Just...wow.
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-26
I have to admit, I've never really understood the attraction to the D/s lifestyle.

Then I read "Natural Law".

I get it now.

Thanks for the enlightenment, Ms. Hill. :->

Hot and Romantic - a definite keeper!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-19
Joey Hill was a discovery for me in 2006. Very explicit sex, be warned, not for the faint hearted. But also, a well written romance with characters you care about - not a combination that is all that easy to find. Add in that she creates a female dom and a male sub and still makes it work as a romance - well that is a rich and rare skill. I'm busy buying up all her books, and though some are better than others, she is consistently good.

W
Powers of Ten (Scientific American Library Paperback)
Published in Paperback by W.H. Freeman & Company (1994-09)
Authors: Philip Morrison and Phylis Morrison
List price: $22.95
New price: $135.00
Used price: $7.57
Collectible price: $129.95

Average review score:

Scale and exponential notation.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-27
This book is an introductory peek at one of the most foundational mathematical tools needed for any consideration of cosmology, astronomy, and/or particle physics:
"At one end, far out where the galaxies appear like glowing froth in darkness, all our sciences become only one: cosmology. ... At the other end, for the very small we again have one science only: particle physics. There are even hints that the two ends inform each other." Evidence, perhaps, that television isn't all bad, the concept here was developed for a TV special program (quite a few years ago now), then plucked from video to print. It's a 'can't miss' premise but I find the writing to be slightly awkward and there may be too many illustrations. For a book that begs me to pick it up, it too easily invites me to put it down. Even so, it makes for a reasonably good overview of a universe more than 20 billion light years wide made out of stuff so small that we must describe it using negative powers of ten. The idea here is to illustrate the dramatic changes of scale involved in only a few powers of ten, and thus the "power" of powers of ten. The book's theme is itself quite modest, but for the reader unfamiliar with the concept of exponential notation, this small volume may be a startling revelation. To those familiar with the concept, the book may be a mere novelty, perhaps a "coffee table book."

An outstanding lesson in basic science
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-19
The premise of this book leads to one of the most fascinating demonstrations of what relative sizes really are. The first illustration is on the order of 10^25 meters, which is approximately 1 billion light years. At this level, even giant galaxies are little more than a dot of light. Subsequent illustrations move in by powers of ten, so by 10^23, our galaxy is now a large period with some evidence of a swirling structure. This zooming in continues until at the level of 10^1 meters, we see a man and a woman on a blanket in a grassy park on the edge of a marina in Chicago, Illinois. Their location was the central position of all previous illustrations.
The zooming in continues, the focus now in on the back of the man's right hand. At the level of 10^(-5) meters, we see an entire white blood cell. When the level of 10^(-8) meters is reached we see the structure of DNA and at the level of 10^(-14) meters, we see the nucleus of a carbon-12 atom. Finally, at the level of 10^(-16) we see nothing more than a random collection of colored splotches.
This is one of the best basic science books ever published; it should be read by all students before they get out of high school. Our brains have an inherent difficulty in grasping the enormous differences in size that exist in the universe. The illustrations are also an excellent lesson in the basic mathematics of exponents. From 25 to -16 is only 41 orders of magnitude and yet we have gone from what is close to the size of the universe down to the smallest objects that are currently known to exist.

Another Scientific American Masterpiece
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-07
I purchased this book years ago when I began collecting the magnificent Scientific American Collection. It has since been published in paperback and I have heard there is a corresponding book that decreases by powers of ten. This is easily the most approachable of all the books in the series and I have used it with both my boys when they were younger.

Parenthetically, anything that would stimulate American interest in science - and stem the tide toward a universal scientific illiteracy - should be welcome. I have seen this powers of ten device several times but the one that stands out in my mind is the opening scene of CONTACT that was marred only by the pitiful displays of stupidity heard from the members of the audience. ("Is that Saturn?" "Yeah, it was once a star and that's how it got its rings." "That's what I thought.")

Back to the book, we start off matter of factly then proceed outward. The commentary is sparse because little is needed. In this case, the picture IS worth a thousand words - more if you get down to it. Get this now-affordable volume and give it to a youngster.

A picture is worth a 10³ words! Amazing!
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-10-05
I've seen this book for the first time in 1985, when I was kid. It is still my all-time favorite.

Although the book does have lots of textual info pages, the core of the book is a series of 42 full-page pictures which depict the an ordinary picnic photo in different scales.

Starting from an ordinary dude resting on the grass, each page turn shows the scene from 10 times farther away. First we see the park he is picnicing on, then the entire city, and before you know it we are in deep space racing towards the outskirts of the Universe.

On the other side of the journey, each page turn magnifies the last picture tenfold. First by viewing a close-up view of the picnicing guy's hand, you quickly find yourself probing deeper and deeper through the realms of biology and chemistry right into the core of a single atom.

The really cool thing about the whole deal, is that all the images are centered at the same object: a single atom on the picnicing dude's hand.

In short, the idea is absolutely brilliant. The images chosen for the presentation is not perfect, but they are still amazing. Of-course, the film is much more impressive then the book, but you can't take a film with you to a camping trip...

No doubt deserves 5 stars; SURPRIZE it can be a child's book
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-07-27
This is a great book. Believe it or not, I walk my 5 year old son through the pictures. I am sure it is not meant for youngsters but it can be used like I am am doing.

The idea behind the book is on its smallest scale it is inside a qark inside an atomic nucleus, inside an atom, attached to a DNA molecule, inside a nucleus of a white blood cell, slightly below the skin on a hand of a man asleep at a picnic on some grass in Chicago....all the way to the scale of the universe. My son and I will transverse the middle 1/3 or 1/2 of the journey. He gets to pick his own bedtime books and he chooses this one out of hundreds once or twice a week.

The pictures make a great way to explain the concept of scale and various aspects of science. On the facing page of the main picture underconsideration are objects of the same scale. You can really see that the tail of a dinosaur is 10 times longer than a man.

For the adult, it is an easy introduction to various aspects of science all at different scales. It is not a super serious book - no math - simple explanations. But as a practicing scientist, I view it as vary factual.

W
Remarkable Trees of the World
Published in Hardcover by W. W. Norton & Company (2002-09-30)
Author: Thomas Pakenham
List price: $49.95
New price: $24.99
Used price: $23.19

Average review score:

Beautiful book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-08
A very nice book, with remarkable trees, however, from the cover I suppose I wrongly assumed they would be beautiful trees. Quite a lot of the book is spent on African trees of a very strange nature, and to my husband's suprise, very little was done on the banyan tree. I was looking forward to large, ancient trees myself. All in all, it is still a wonderful book, it just wasn't what we were expecting.

You Need to See
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-01
Great Book will enough the wonder hopefully they have it in the school systems or county systems

This is a coffee table book with pictures that impress
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-28
Trees are grouped by various, sensible categories that other books on trees might neglect: Giants: Gods, Goddesses, Grizzlies; Dwarfs: For Fear of Little Men, In Bondage; Methuselahs: The Living and the Dead, Shrines; Dreams: Prisoners, Aliens, Lovers and Dancers, Snakes and Ladders, Ghosts; and Trees in Peril: Do the Loggers always Win? and Ten Green Bottles. Pakenham's text is great fun to read, as can be viewed from those sectional titles, and individual tree titles such as "Tie up my feet, Darling, and I'll live forever" for the Bonsai tree that is the In Bondage section.

I suppose coffee table books really shouldn't be considered exceptional items to read - view, yes; read, not so much. This is an exception. Tolkien's Ents are invoked for a handful of trees, and rightly so; geography students who get a core borer stuck and (somehow) get permission to cut down what had possibly been the oldest tree in the world just to retrieve it are warned against; and, of course, it is mentioned that any fool can climb a gum tree. I've read this about six times this year, high time I count it officially.

satisfied
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-10
beautiful book. Bought it as a gift for my brother.
I already have a copy for myself.

Go gingko go
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-21
In fall 2006, Lansing's forestry department planted a tiny gingko biloba tree between the sidewalk and the street in front of my house.
It had four and a half branches, all oriented in one plane like the candlesticks in a menorah. You could barely roast a wiener with it.
I scrambled into the house for a book I had bought, by sheer coincidence, the previous day -- Thomas Pakenham's "Remarkable Trees of the World."
Yes! There, sprawling across pages 110 and 111, was a gingko nearly 1,000 years old, still living in Tokyo, measuring 30 feet in girth and 66 feet high.
Pakenham, a British historian with Irish wanderlust and a gentle sense of drama, has traveled the world to photograph and research the history and lore of 60 of the world's most remarkable trees.
This oversize book, just now out in paperback, is so relaxed and un-sensational you picture Pakenham walking from tree to tree, a Haydn string quartet playing in the background, not minding the continents and oceans in between. It's a follow-up to another book that's just as good: "Meetings With Remarkable Trees," in which Packenham confined his wanderings to the British Isles. The response to "Meetings" was so warm that Pakenham packed his bags and expanded his search to global proportions.
Pakenham's style is that of a curious, intelligent pilgrim. He pairs generous full-page or double-page images of his subjects with un-fussy, lightly conversational background information. He clearly respects local lore and legend, but doesn't go overboard with it, nor does he bog the text down in scientific details. The result is almost a set of personality profiles.
The images are spectacular -- given the subject matter, most of them can't help it -- but sensitively chosen and framed, with an eye toward the unique setting, mood and attributes of each tree.
It's a low-key approach, but if this book doesn't awaken your sense of awe, nothing can. That little stick of a gingko in my front yard, for example, belongs to a hyper-ancient species/order/family that predates dinosaurs. Its peculiar lineage (it's related to ferns) is betrayed by unique, fan-shaped leaves that have no central fold.
Of course, trees have their own agenda, and don't care whether they get into a coffee-table book or not (it's tempting to think they'd rather not, insofar as books are made of paper). But it was hard not to think of Pakenham's gargantuan gingko as a thundering encouragement for my little tree's stressed-out, brown-fringed leaves and spindly trunk.
For one thing, Japanese Buddhists believe the gingko, not the Bo tree of India, was the tree under which Buddha found enlightenment.
If lore doesn't thrill, Pakenham serves up history and science. For example, a gingko 800 yards from the epicenter of Hiroshima threw up new sprouts even after the atomic bomb hit.
But enough about gingkos. In this book, the reader will meet a panoply of the world's most amazing creatures: General Sherman, a mega-giant sequoia in California that weights 1,500 tons and is probably the largest living thing on Earth; ancient teapot-shaped African baobabs out of a Dr. Suess illustration; the leaning Italian cypress said to have been planted by St. Francis; wind-lashed cypresses clinging to the rocky California coast; great oaks with hollows where 20 people can sit down to a banquet; bristlecone pines now into their fifth millennium of existence.
Some of these magnificent trees are near roadsides or chained off in parks, all but ignored by passersby. The wonder of this book is that it tunes the mind to the low-frequency, centuries-long chords only these creatures can hear. Looking at trees that have lived the better part of a millennium make you wonder whether there will be a California -- the home of a disproportionate number of these giants -- or a Lansing in 1,000 years.
My bet's on Lansing, which is far less likely to slip into the ocean before my gingko grows up.

W
Richard Scarry's Best Mother Goose Ever (Giant Little Golden Book)
Published in Hardcover by Golden Books (1999-09-01)
Author:
List price: $14.99
New price: $8.46
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $14.99

Average review score:

Very Good
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-10
Good book. The little kids love this book, and I do too. I first read this book when I was a little kid. This book has all the great stories.

Richard Scarry's Best Mother Goose Ever
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-20
I liked the book just fine, but for some reason I ended up with 2 instead of the one I ordered.

Great presentation of nursery stories
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-12
So many mother goose out there, and most are very nicely done. This one, however, caught my attention because it utilizes the familiar busytown characters which I feel children so easily identify with as opposed to books with illustrations of children from long ago. Those are great too but this one should not be overlooked.

Richard Scarry`s Best Mother Goose Ever
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-23
We had a lot`s of fun reading the book.It contains 50 well known nursery rhymes, has funny pictures and was not too long even for my 2 year old.There are days he wants me to read it twice in a row.

A Favorite New Baby Gift
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-16
This beautiful version of Mother Goose first came to my attention 39 years ago as a baby gift for my first child. The bright and clever illustrations capativated her attention as she enjoyed the traditional verses so familiar to many generations of children before her. The book became part of the bedtime ritual for our daughter and her two younger siblings, and we have passed it on as a favorite baby gift to family and countless friends. Because the illustrations feature animal characters, children of all backgrounds can identify with them. Richard Scarry has indeed provided the Best Mother Goose Ever.

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Set Up Running: The Life of a Pennsylvania Railroad Engineman 1904-1949 (Keystone Book)
Published in Hardcover by Pennsylvania State University Press (2001-02)
Author: John W. Orr
List price: $39.95
New price: $185.66
Used price: $65.00

Average review score:

A bygone era of American steam power
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-11
As I read this book I could almost feel the track clicking below the engine, hear the chuffing of the engine as it labored to pull the cars, listen to the lonesome sound of the whistle as the engineer arrived at the crossing and feel the power as the fireman put the coal to the firebox and the engineer pulled the Johnson bar. All in all a great read and a book that anyone interested in the steam era would read with relish.

Excellent portrait of a person and of a profession
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-01
One of the most compelling railroad books I've read - the narrative is compelling because of Orr's consistent, insightful commitment to doing his job well and discovering the most efficient way to get his train over the road. Of course hardcore railfans will enjoy this book, but I think students of industrial history and those interested in the way people go about their jobs (a la Studs Terkel/working) will get something out of this book as well.

You'll Smell the Coal Smoke
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-22
The detailed descriptions in "Set Up Running" will have you smelling coal smoke. Even though I have been a rail fan for all of my 65 years, was an NYC-PC employee, and I'm a native of Pennsylvania, I learned something new on nearly every page and thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Although "Set Up Running" deals almost exclusively with operations on a PRR branch line, ferroequinologists (students of the iron horse) everywhere will love this book. It has the unique quality of making you wish it would go on forever.

The Real Thing
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-17
When I read a book or article about railroads it is easy to tell when the writer is over his head. Not here. This book is authentic.

The time covers a great period of growth of steam locomotive development. PRR classes from the old class R through the M1a are run and evaluated. Which one is the engineer's favorite? You might be surprised.

The book is a labor of love. It is human as well as technological. Here you find the enthusiasm of the young man, the confidence of the mature man, and the feelings of being squeezed out of the retiring man. As I finished the book I sat and thought about the family for a long time.

Set Up Running
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-31
Set Up Running is simply the VERY BEST railroad related book which I have EVER read! If you don't have it GET IT! PERIOD! (PS: I have NO financial interest in this book or any organization/company which sells it). I'm doing YOU a favor by rating this book and advising YOU to get it!)

ceh

W
Sutter's Cross
Published in Paperback by Bethany House Publishers (2002-12)
Author: W. Dale Cramer
List price: $18.99
New price: $3.30
Used price: $1.43

Average review score:

Refreshing!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-13
I just finished Sutters Cross, and I'm savoring the glow that accompanies the completion of a good book. It was so refreshing to read a Christian Fiction book that broke out of the formula and was well crafted. It was complex without being confusing. A southern novel that was not a cliche. Mr. Cramer uses words in a delightful way, too. One of my favorite story lines was the one that followed Eddy and Marcus. He truly captured the magic of boyhood in their story line--I loved it!

This book was also Christian without being preachy, spiritual without being too pointed and obvious. (..."Oh, here's where the author is bringing in the moral of the story....") I give it two thumbs up!

Uplifting book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-17
Jake Mahaffey lives with his wife Lori in the beautiful little town of Sutter's Cross in the Appalachians. There is a rigid social structure in the town in which everyone knows his place, especially in Jake's church. All of this changes when a ragged, homeless man comes to town and offends some of the townspeople and charms others. He has an other-worldly wisdom about him which offends his enemies and attracts those who see beyond his ragged exterior. His very presence seems to uncover the towns' hypocrisy, and suddenly the greed and self-centeredness of some of Sutter's Cross citizens are exposed. Important themes such as living through pain and suffering and father/son relationships are explored in this book. The book starts somewhat slowly, but it gains momentum and, in the end, important lessons are learned by many of the main characters. This is recommended Christian fiction.

So Far So Good
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-21
I've just started reading this book and I can't put it down. I just recently discovered this Author and now I have all his books.

review Sutter's Cross
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-22
Author seems very knowledgable of his subjects, have read two of his books and found them very interesting.

Moving, beautifully written Christian fiction
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-01
Sutter's Cross by W. Dale Cramer is a lyrically crafted book. It's Cramer's debut novel, and it truly shines. Harley shows up in town at the church picnic lunch wearing another man's pants and quickly saves an elderly woman from choking. From this auspicious beginning, people in town quickly line up either for him or against him. At first I was concerned the book would be too similar to Joshua, but this book is entirely different and certainly stands on its own merits. Cramer does a wonderful job of characterization, although Orde seems a bit stereotypical. The stories of Web, Eddy & Marcus, and Jake & Harley come together with such a clash that even Web's change becomes believable. The scene of prayer in the church brought tears to my eyes, and the scene of Marcus with the fireflies stands as one of the best I've ever read in fiction: miraculous and moving. Cramer's story is all the more moving for not tying everything up with a neat bow at the end.

W
The Treasure Tree
Published in Hardcover by W Pub Group (1992-09)
Authors: John Trent, Cindy Trent, Gary Smalley, and Norma Smalley
List price: $15.99
New price: $9.99
Used price: $5.76

Average review score:

The Treasure Tree
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-21
The Treasure Tree: Helping Kids Understand Their Personality

This book was bought for my son when he was around 7, he is now 17 and refuses to give this book away. It's message was and still is wonderful. Great book and highly reccomended.

PERFECT STORY TIME BOOK
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-19
MY DAUGHTER LOVES THIS BOOK. IT'S GREAT FOR STORY TIME!!! I LOVED READING THE BOOK TO HER AND ALLOWING HER TO ANTICIPATE THE NEXT ADVENTURE WAS EXCITING FOR BOTH OF US.

Excellent book! Fun for Kids and grown-ups!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-05
This colorful book is written to kids, but adults will learn as well. You will see yourself in at least one of the characters and laugh at your extremes. You also will hopefully come to understand the strengths of your own personality tendencies and be encouraged to work on them. Another great thing about this book is it helps you to understand those around you and to see strengths in them, rather than being annoyed with the extreme side of their tendencies. I highly recommend this book to anyone with children ages 5 and up.(though it can be read earlier, the personality traits are maybe seen better after age 5.)

Great book to help teach the importance of diversity!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-17
As a mother of three, I embrace the unique qualities of each of my children. This book helped my children to see the importance that diversity plays in all of our lives. We read it in the morning at the bus stop over the course of a few days. They really looked forward to the next chapter to see what was going to happen. This book was also a great conversational tool to get my children to think about and express the importance of the role each of us plays in our family.

Great book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-16
My 5 year old loves this book. We borrowed it from his school library and he read it all the way home from school and didn't want to get out of the car when we got home until he finished it.


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